The current linear economy is based on the concept of “take-produce-consume-discard”. This model is unsustainable due to the unrealistic assumptions of unlimited resources and unrestricted waste disposal. A sustainable, circular economy enables economic development via reuse, recycling and upcycling of streams currently considered waste, such as used plastics. Economically-feasible upcycling of used plastics require scientific and technological advances to develop processes that can accept mixed polymer streams as input, and hence minimize the current labor-intensive sorting and handling practices. Plastic waste streams are typically a mixture of various types, such as vinyl polymers, e.g. polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), oxygen-containing polymers, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET), halogenated vinyl polymers, nitrogen-containing polymers, and elastomers, as well as additives, fillers and metals. The fundamental mechanistic understanding of interaction effects in mixed plastics is nearly non-existent in the literature except for few studies. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and micro-pyrolysis reactors coupled to online gas chromatography analytics (Py-(GC)×GC-MS/FID) provide detailed information on the kinetic evaluation of solid to gas transformations. Accordingly, I will be presenting the kinetic analysis and product speciation results obtained through a systematic study performed with single streams of vinyl polymers and heteroatom containing polymers, and their mixtures.

Fundamental understanding of interaction effects in mixed plastic waste pyrolysis

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.